Sleuthing Problems [Sapphire]

[Gaunt]

It had taken long enough, but Gaunt finally had his place set up. It was pretty nice, considering he was squatting in the maintenance area of an old, unsafe subway tunnel. Down in the lower areas he had his personal space, along with an office and command center. Computers, television, and lights were all set up, stealing cable, internet, and power as needed. It had taken some doing, but the Rat's Nest had good electricians. Adjoining the command center was his room, which was essentially an open space with an alcove higher up and out of the way, where he could hide to sleep during the day.

Above, there was his waiting room. It was a large room with a conference table. The passage to the Staff Area was well hidden, with a floor panel under the table opening up to reveal a ladder down. The bottom had been padded so it could move silently, allowing Gaunt to enter the room unseen and unheard. Between that and his invisibility, he could easily ghost in and out.

Gaunt lounged in his office, goofing around on his computer. Word had been put out that the Rat's Nest were in town, so a job shouldn't be too far off. He occasionally glanced at the screens showing hidden surveillance camera footage, watching for any guests. If someone came by he had an intercom set up, but better to keep an eye on it just in case an uninvited guest tried to get in. In the meantime, he had Spider-Man reruns to watch.

[Deleted]

Sapphire realized that the Titans alone were not stopping their old teammate and her ex boyfriend. So although Robin would lecture the firegirl for hours on end, she decided to get assistance from a crime organization. She knew the phrase 'takes one to know one' and she also knew that this would continue to hold true. It had taken her a few days to muster up the courage to go pay a visit to the Rat's Nest, but ultimately she decided to go.

When she arrived at the place she had heard about, she was face to face with a large, iron door. Searching around, she found the intercom panel, which she had also heard about, and pressed the button to activate it.

"I hope I'm not intruding but I need some...." She paused, not sure who all could be listening and worried this may also be some kind of trap. She was, after all, a Teen Titan. An organization like this could sell or capture her.

It was worth the risk.


"I need some assistance."

[Gaunt]

Gaunt was a little surprised at the ping from the security system. Someone was entering the tunnels already? Looking at the monitors, he saw a face he recognized. What's a Titan doing down here? he wondered, leaning forward in his chair. She seemed to be moving purposefully, but she wasn't running to catch someone.

Before long, the system pinged again. Now she was at his front door, searching for something. Within moments, she found it. The panel popped open and she spoke into the intercom. This was certainly unexpected, a Titan asking for help from the likes of him. Not unheard of, but rare. He considered for a moment. It could be a sting operation, but Titans didn't generally do that. They preferred to work in public, and they lacked both the experience and legal authority to pull one off.

With a crackle, a voice responded over the intercom. "All right, buzzing you in." He hit a button on the console, and the door let out a low, droning beep as it unlocked. Without waiting for a response on the intercom, Gaunt scurried up the ladder. The floor panel slid aside noiselessly, and he shimmered out of sight as he climbed up through it, sliding it back into place after him. He crawled out between the chairs and stood up, invisible. "Welcome." said a disembodied voice inside the conference room. The place echoed, making it hard to tell where the voice was coming from.

[Deleted]

It felt like forever between the time Sapphire pressed the button connecting her to the inside and when she actually got a response. Of course, showing up to a large, underground organization in her standard, recognizable superhero outfit wasn't the best idea, especially if she wanted to keep a secret from the team. For just a moment, she was reminded of her time with Slade, sneaking around and causing trouble from the inside out.

The door opened and Sapphire walked into the conference room. She felt both alone and like she was being watching, with the disembodied voice echoing all around her. She clenched her fists, her sweaty palms stinging her slightly. Was she nervous? No. Superheros didn't get nervous. But then, one could argue that her actions weren't exactly heroic. This was a vengeful mission.

"I've heard you're good at what you do." Don't show any emotion. That was the first rule to ordering a hit on someone. "Long story short, I have reason to believe someone has access to my teams secrets. Given that I'm a Titan, my hands are somewhat tied. Are you able to help me, for the right price?" The details would be hashed out after she knew she could trust him to do the job.

[Gaunt]

Gaunt sat on the table listening to her offer. This way, he could stay hidden and conserve his power. If she came his way he could move, but for now there was no issue. He considered her proposition. Her story seemed plausible enough, Titans had to maintain an image of being above-board at all times. He didn't like how vague she was being, though. Either this was a trick, or she was a normally straightforward person making her first attempt at a cloak and dagger style. Either way, he'd need to dig a little deeper.

"I'm afraid that isn't much to go on, miss. Is this about a specific person, or a fishing expedition? What sort of access will we have? Are we to act on this information, or just pass it on to you? As they say, the devil's in the details." He tried to keep his tone as even and professional as possible. Gaunt was in his Businessman persona now, one of the affectations he put on to make his organization seem bigger than it really was.

"We can't hash out the price until I know what I'm signing us up to do. We offer a lot of services, you see. Can't just have a blanket fee for all of it." He kept an eye on the super. If he recalled, she had some fire abilities. This could turn very bad very fast if she wanted it to.

[Deleted]

Sapphire sighed, why did she ever bother trying to be cryptic? It'd have been a hell of a lot easier to just demand a contract and get it over with. "This mission is about finding a person and hopefully eliminating them. There's no need to extract any information yourself, otherwise I'll have to go after you myself." She was quickly losing her temper, as any mention of Reflecto did to her.

Should she just attack the organization, attempt to shut them down? She was too deep involved the minute she pressed the intercom button or unknowingly, when she appeared on camera and was observed lurking around the outside. She created a small spark in her palm, hidden by her fingers that were still tightened in a fist. All that would indicate her thoughts would be the smokey smell of fire that she was so familiar with.

[Gaunt]

Gaunt could smell the fire in the air. It was making him a little nervous. "Let's not be hasty now. I'd rather not get into an escalating threat war. Especially considering that you're a superhero hiring a criminal group to kill someone. There's nothing the Rat's Nest values more than discretion, but that's the kind of information that tends to go public if you attack us."

He hoped the threat would get her to back down a bit instead of setting her off. Just in case, he slipped under the table and positioned himself next to the hidden panel in the floor. If she got burny, he could slip down into the saferoom and seal the door. After that, he could make good on his blackmail threat. The cameras had captured enough to make one hell of a news story. Still, it would be better to end this peacefully. "Now should I infer from you referring to the target as 'a person' that you don't know who it is, or are you trying to be mysterious?"

He considered what she had said. If nothing else, whatever information this mole may have could be useful for his own purposes. He'd have to see if there was anything he could use without revealing he'd taken a copy. That sort of intel use was always a tricky game, but he'd gotten better at it. "Any information you can offer would be appreciated. It makes our jobs easier, and your bill smaller."

[Deleted]

It would have been so easy for the little fire starter to lose her temper, as she often did. But given her desperation to track and end Reflecto, she paused, let the man's words sink in and took a sharp inhale through her nose, making some sort of snorting noise and deep exhale out the mouth, making a sigh noise. She was getting frustrated at all this talking.

"You are simply lucky that I wish to keep this meeting under the radar or I'd have burned this entire place and everyone in it, whoever that may be!" She bitterly stated, letting her flame die down, in case that gave her away.

"I know the person too well. We used to be-" she cut that part off, this wasn't about being a jealous exgirlfriend, this was to save her team in case he decided to sell them out after all. "We were close, he was a fellow teammate. His name is Reflecto, real name Flash McGavin. He's a telepath and a spy. Also, wouldn't recommend saying the word 'mirrors' around him. Otherwise he goes nuts. He has a pistol and duel whips at his disposal as well as being a cat anthro. I believe that's all you need to know." Her heart stung as she recalled every detail about him. She remembered his voice as well as his smile, the way he made her feel like someone actually understood her. The way he had trusted her, like no one else had. But that stopped mattering the moment he was revealed as a traitor.

"I want him dead." She repeated, mostly trying to convince herself at this point.

[Gaunt]

"Enough of the fire talk. It's not getting us anywhere, and you don't even know there's anyone in here. I might be a few strategically placed speakers for all you know." He lounged under the table, letting that sink in. A little uncertainty could go a long way, especially when dealing with supers. It kept them off balance, forced them to be a little more cautious. That could buy precious seconds when dealing with a pyrokinetic.

"Now what you're asking is a tricky proposition. Mr. McGavin is still a public enough face that his total disappearance would raise quite a bit of suspicion. Could end with a manhunt. And if the body's found, well, that raises even more questions. People might be implicated. Killing a public figure, especially a super, brings down a lot of heat. Rat's Nest wouldn't be able to publicly take credit. How do you want it done? Clean or messy? Slow or fast? Accident, suicide or warning? Or any which way?" Gaunt could tell by her voice that she was a little iffy on this whole thing. To be honest, he was too. Aside from the dangers of killing a well-known super, getting hired by a kid to kill another kid didn't sit right with him. He couldn't exactly refuse, the main office would be on his case about this, but he could subtly discourage her. If he reminded her of the risks, or the cost, or just the horror of what she was doing he hoped she might back down a bit.

[Deleted]

"Whether you exist or not, you still need this place to get whatever business you have going on. Just keep that in mind if the thought of double-crossing me came into that head of yours." Sapphire retorted, not caring that the disembodied voice was trying to defuse her. Too much rage had built up over the past few months.

"I don't care how public it gets! If you want to get paid and get a good word on your little organization, you have no choice but to accept this!" She was getting a bit self centered, as though he had no other hits but the one she was currently planning. "I'm sure the Titans could push this aside, considering what he's done to my team. Or perhaps I can order his capture. The penalty for that is far less steep than death." Sapphire mused, more to herself than to the voice. She ultimately wanted to spare him in her heart of hearts but had to worry foremost about her team, and about what information villains could extract from the fickle telepath.

ooc: I'm sorry this is not as great as past posts ; A ;

[Gaunt]

"Miss Sapphire, I'm offended. I'm a businessman. The Businessman. I make a deal, and I keep it." He circled around her, trying to judge her mood. She was clearly pretty strung out right now, he'd have to be ready to put a stop to her fast in case she got out of control. He might get some burns in the process, but he was pretty sure he could put her down fast if he attacked unseen. "Now can we talk this over like reasonable people, or are you going to keep threatening me?"

He sighed at her ultimatum. Was she really trying this? He maneuvered around behind her. "On the contrary, miss Sapphire." Gaunt pressed a hidden button on the wall, and the door swung open. "I have all the options in the world. Now if we're going to work together, you'll need to get more specific in what you want, not less. As it is, I can't see any way to arrange this without the contract including the words 'or whatever' and that's not really good for a stable deal." The Titan's attitude was really starting to bug him. He was trying to set up a stable business here, and he could tell that if he took the contract, she was going to be one of those problem clients. "Now take your pick. Which will it be, the deal or the door?"

[Deleted]

Sapphire could feel herself unraveling long before he asked her to behave like a reasonable person. These past few months had been emotionally exhausting (especially considering she never intended to get attached to anyone in the first place). She had to speed this up, a large explosion of emotions could be detrimental to the privacy of the Rat's Nest, the Teen Titans and especially her own.

"Alright then, let's try this again." Her statement was shaky and full of uncertainty, made even more so by the opening of the large, iron door. "I want you to capture Ref-Flash." Was there a hint of doubt in her orders? "I'll decide what happens to him after he's apprehended." Now she was getting somewhere, she believed. The only thing left would be to establish a price, if the deal could be cemented on these terms. This had proved to be difficult thus far and she expected that trend to continue.

The next order of business would be to figure out what she had to offer. Protection from the Titans? She sure as hell didn't have any money. Maybe this was a bad idea.

[Gaunt]

Gaunt considered her offer for a moment. There were still parts that were vague, but he had a place to start from. What worried him was part two of the mission. If she decided to kill him, or make an example of him, this could get risky. Of course, then he could raise the price for an execution. He could work with this.

"I think we can make this work, miss Sapphire. Price will be one hundred thousand, plus expenses, or something of equivalent value. Preferably goods of some kind, my superiors like to get something tangible for our services." He moved around the table, standing on the opposite side from her. "Nos will probably take care of this one. We'll need to set up a holding cell, something secure and well-hidden. Not here, of course." He was thinking of the best way to do this. There was probably some out of the way spot on that map he had bought, he'd have to check it over once HQ was done rendering it. He felt a little schizophrenic talking in the third person about one of his alternate aliases, but it was necessary. The Rat's Nest had to make a show of force here, and he couldn't do that if people knew he was a one-man show. Mr. Gaunt and Nos would have to help him out for now. "Any information on his possible whereabouts would help the both of us. Makes our job quicker, and lowers the expenses bill."

[Deleted]

How the hell was she supposed to come up with a hundred grand and quickly? Her only other options were to trick the disembodied voice (it was really making her question if she actually heard this or if she was going insane) and risk certain death, or to offer to keep this a secret from the Titans, which was a given even though it was going to be very difficult. Robin was a detective after all.

She decided to press her luck, pretend as though she had the money but was offering a service instead.

"I will not throw that much money around with a gang that's barely set itself up. Consider my offer being the publicity, I'll refer anyone else I know to you, or the fact that I will help keep the Titans away from storming your little project." Patronizing felt good, like she knew exactly what she was talking about, even though she had absolutely no clue about this literal underground operation.

"His whereabouts." She put an index finger to her cheek as if that would help her remember such details. Finally she came up with an answer, "I tossed
him into a scientist's care in a lab in the city. I can help Nos track it down. Wouldn't want him getting carried away on this mission. I'd much rather monitor."


If she wanted a job done right, she was almost positive she was going to have to do it herself. What else was new?

[Gaunt]

She couldn't see it, but Gaunt was scowling. This girl just did not get it. "I'm going to stop you right there." he said, calm but firm. "I told you that if we're going to do this, we keep it under wraps. Publicity is the opposite of what we want, and I'm pretty sure it's the opposite of what you want. We're an extralegal organization, not the sort of things Titans muck around with." At this point, Gaunt had lost all hope of making a deal with this girl. "The Titans aren't a concern. Rat's Nest specializes in evading authorities of all kinds. If they come after us, we'll just be somewhere else."

He pressed a button under the desk, and the door swung wide open again. He wanted to be sure she got the hint. "Right now, risking an agent for no pay would do far more damage than any Titan could, and publicizing that we did a dangerous job for free would destroy our reputation. If you aren't paying, we aren't interested. There's the door. Now please, stop wasting our time." A bit harsh, he knew, but hopefully it would get the point across. One of the worst parts about this sort of for-hire routine is people expecting you to do your job for free. You had to be forceful with them, or it would set a bad precedent.